Min Hai, 20, a second-year student at Hanoi Law University, was among the thousands of fans who gathered to meet the members of Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), one of Korea’s leading League of Legends teams, on June 18 at Quan Ngua Sports Complex in Hanoi. Holding a placard that read “I am a Hanwha fan,” Min Hai said HLE’s rise into a team representing League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) taught the importance of effort and perseverance. “For me, cheering for HLE is more than just a hobby,” she said. “Watching the players overcome adversity gives me courage to face difficulties, too. They are like role models in life, with many things to learn from.” The scene looked more like a K-pop concert than an esports team fan event. When HLE’s star players Zeus, Kanavi, Zeka, Gumayusi and Delight walked out, fans erupted with cheers, chanting their names. Jung, a 20-year-old University of Virginia student, said the players felt like both stars and friends after years of playing League of Legends (LoL) and following them since she was in high school. “It took 26 hours of flying over
